Consumer Confidential: Lower debt, lucrative Apple, papal advice

Here’s your tears-on-my-pillow Tuesday roundup of consumer news from around the Web:

--We’re managing our money better. The consulting firm McKinsey says that since 2008, all types of U.S. private-sector debt -- such as mortgage, credit card and corporate loans -- have fallen as a percentage of the broader economy. Household debt in the U.S. has fallen a total of $584 billion over the last four years, a 15% decline relative to people’s overall disposable income. Debt carried by businesses has also declined. Only three of the world’s 10 largest economies -- the U.S., Australia and South Korea -- have seen debt decline since the financial crisis began. (Moneywatch)

--The White House or a single Apple store -- which is more valuable? Believe it or not, it’s pretty much a tie. Apple sells an annual average of $4,709 worth of merchandise per square foot in its hundreds of stores across the world. Meanwhile, the presidential mansion in Washington is valued at $4,752 per square foot, according to the real estate website Zillow. The tech giant’s sales-per-square-foot numbers put it in uncharted retail territory. Although it’s not the world’s most valuable store, it’s by far the most valuable chain in the U.S. (CNN)

--Keep it down. That’s not just the word from movie theaters, concert halls and other places that don’t want people being bothered by cellphones, tweeting and the like. That’s the word from no less an authority than Pope Benedict XVI. In his annual communications message, Benedict extolled the sounds of silence. He said a little bit of quiet makes people better listeners and better communicators by giving them more time to think about what they are hearing and saying. And in a world inundated by tweets and 24-hour news coverage, that precious time to think and reflect gives words greater value, he said. (Associated Press)